Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

You won't hear my words in the chamber today but the words of a young woman from my electorate, a young woman who wanted her voice heard and whose voice should be heard. In this inaugural Youth Voice in Parliament Week, organised by Raise Your Voice Australia, these are the words of Reya, aged 15.

Twenty years into the future, I would like to see an Australia where women and others who are cast aside are heard and represented in parliament and other leadership roles in a way that encourages others like them, instead of scaring them. I would like to see an Australia that is not afraid to battle climate change at its core. An Australia that changes the way we see migrants and refugees. One that stops judging, dismissing and is aware of the diversity and vibrance they bring.

Twenty years into the future, I would like to see more diverse representation in the Australian government and media that showcases a more modern Australia. An Australia that is a beacon of support for the world, a beacon that shows the world that we are the centre of change. Despite our isolation geographically from the world, we can still be a beacon that displays change.

Twenty years into the future, I would like to see an Australia that no longer thrives on the suffering of the earth. One that is not starting the process of using renewable resources but one that has been for years. One that understands that to secure the future we have to start now.

So speaks Reya; she said it all.

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